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Summary
This Security Article I wrote to show you that all browsers can be made more secure, each browser I have gone through and checked how they vary in the setup - but rest assured, your browser will be much safer in the end.
The first article refers to Firefox only, but there are similar versions available for other browsers, some you will find by checking Google for your browser type.

The Firefox Add-ons (My actual Firefox setup)
In this screenshot please ignore the F-Secure add-ons (these are part of the F-Secure Safe which is a commercial and rated 'bulletproof' against 'zero-day attacks!).

FlashBlock : A great little add-on and does a very good job. This add-on will block the javascript loading of any flash object swf file, which is a known threat to inject 'ransomware'. Any website that you trust like YouTube, etc you can 'whitelist', but the use of their HTML5 player is recommended for better security. Adobe is discontinuing support for Flash within the next 18 months, at this point your browser will no longer support Flash either due to security issues. Apple is also announcing the EOL (End of Life) on their QuickTime browser plugin, with the setup shown in this screenshot, QuickTime is also defaulted to off, for security against 'ransomware' attacks.

Disconnect : This is probably the best malware blocker around. It is highly rated by security experts worldwide. You will see the Disconnect Icon, will start showing numerals, don't be alarmed if you see this figure rising over 20-30, this is all the tracking data that is being blocked, hence keeping your 'digital-footprint' from being hit from the website you are currently on. Please note, if you wish to install the AdBlock and AdBlocker as well - install these first, before 'Disconnect'.

With ALL these add-ons enabled, you're protected from ALL current 'ransomware', malware and will also provide you with full protection against leaving your 'digital-footprint' behind on ANY website.

Fixing your browser Security!

There are a couple of simple things you can do to improve your web browser’s security. They maybe minor tweaks, but can often deter the would be hacker or your ID.

Cookies are small pieces of data that can be used to track your use of the web and some websites host cookies belonging to organisations you know nothing about – these are called ‘third party cookies’ and they’re no use to you whatsoever.
Find the appropriate section(s) for the web browsers you have installed from the selection below, and use the browser’s preferences section to locate the cookie preferences and fix them. The information is also available to download as a PDF.Google Chrome

From the Chrome menu, make sure the Settings page is shown, then choose Show advanced settings… at the bottom of the page. In the Privacy section, click the Content Settings… button then choose ‘Block third-party cookies and site data.’ You might also want to block pop-up windows (which are annoying and can also be abused by attackers). Click Done.
Then look through the comprehensive list of privacy options, selecting any you wish to set – we recommend the ‘Enable phishing and malware protection’ and ‘Send a “Do Not Track” request with your browsing traffic’.Apple Safari

Go to the Safari menu, then Preferences, choose Privacy. In the Cookies and other website data section select the ‘From third parties and advertisers’ option. You might also want to select the ‘Ask websites not to track me’ option which restricts the ability of websites to follow your progress around the web.
There are some further useful settings in Safari’s Preferences – Security section. You should make sure all the security settings are turned on.
Finally, in the Preferences – General section, make sure the option to automatically open ‘safe’ files is turned off. Although Safari is very good at checking that files are safe to open, it is possible that a dangerous file could be get through. Turning off ‘safe’ files just means that you will have to open the file yourself. If you find a file you did not request, delete it just in case.Mozilla Firefox

From the Firefox menu choose Preferences… then Privacy. Before going any further, select the ‘Tell websites I do not want to be tracked’ option, then in the History section, choose ‘Use custom settings for history’ from the drop-down menu. Make sure the option ‘Accept third-party cookies’ is unselected.
You can also find useful settings in the Security section. Make sure the ‘Warn me when sites try to install add-ons’, ‘Block reported attack sites’ and ‘Block reported web forgeries’ are all selected. These will prevent unwanted software from being installed on your disk and help stop you visiting hijacked or dangerous websites.Microsoft Internet Explorer

Click the Tools button then choose Internet Options. Select the Privacy tab. Move the slider from side to side to customise the level of privacy you want (we’d recommend any of Medium, Medium High or High). At the same time select the ‘Turn on Pop-up Blocker’ option to stop annoying pop-up browser windows which are often used by advertisers.
Click OK when you are finished.Opera

From the Opera menu choose Preferences…, the General tab has an option to block pop-up windows. Choose ‘Block unwanted pop-ups’ if it is not already selected.
On the Advanced tab, choose Cookies from the left-hand menu and choose ‘Accept cookies only from the site I visit’.
Also on the Advanced tab, select Security from the left-hand menu and make sure the two options ‘Ask websites not to track me’ and ‘Enable Fraud and Malware Protection’ are enabled.
Click OK when you are finished.Your browser(s) should now be much better protected!

I was thinking it may have been triggered by a scheduled backup or Windows checking which files have changed and need updating.

Sounds like you just store backups on it by drag and drop.

Sounds like it could be a usb issue or even a power issue hence why it keeps flashing the folder open as you have it set to do that each time it's connected.

You can open AutoPlay by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type autoplay, and then click AutoPlay.
In the list next to the device or type of media, click the new action you want to use.

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